DEC AND DOH ANNOUNCE 16 NEW MUNICIPALITIES RECEIVE FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PROTECT DRINKING WATER SOURCES

 

State Agencies Update Drinking Water Source Protection Framework to Better Assist Communities at No Cost

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald announced 16 new municipalities will receive free technical assistance to help protect public drinking water sources through the Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2). The multi-agency initiative, led by DEC and DOH in collaboration with the Departments of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) and State (DOS), empowers municipalities to take critical actions to improve and protect public drinking water sources and the environment. 

“With the success of the Drinking Water Source Protection Program, New York under Governor Hochul is helping more communities across the state receive free technical assistance that protects public drinking water and conserves water supplies for future generations,” DEC Commissioner Lefton said. “DEC and our partner agencies’ are commitment to delivering critical programs like this one aimed at protecting drinking water at its source.” 

“Technical support through the Drinking Water Source Protection Program enables municipalities to navigate the planning process for critically important projects that will safeguard the health of their community,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “We are proud to offer this assistance at no cost, and we thank our partners for their collaborative leadership in protecting drinking water sources and public health.” 

In addition, to better assist communities, DEC and DOH completed revisions on the latest version of the Drinking Water Source Protection Program Framework 2025,a guidance document that technical assistance providers will use to help each community create and implement a local drinking water source protection program. The Framework is publicly available on the official DWSP2 website. 

Communities enrolled in the program will work with technical assistance providers to develop and initiate implementation of a unique drinking water source protection program at no cost to the participating municipalities. 

The program is designed to build off previous work, help align priorities, and fill gaps within a municipality’s current and future source water protection efforts. 

Participating municipalities receive free technical assistance in assessing modern day vulnerabilities and engaging in preventative actions to protect drinking water sources from contamination, identifying effective actions to address potential contaminant sources, and implementing source water protection actions. 

The program helps ensure meaningful collaboration during plan development and initial implementation between municipalities, members that represent the source water and their technical assistance providers. The 16 new municipalities include the cities of Dunkirk, Elmira, Glen Cove, Little Falls and Saratoga Springs, the towns of Cazenovia, Keene and Saugerties, and the villages of Chester, Fonda, Middleburgh, Saugerties, Voorheesville, Woodbury, Delhi, and Montgomery. A full list of participating communities can be found on the DWSP2 website. 

In addition to the development of a plan, each community will initiate implementation activities focused on preventing and minimizing pollution of source waters. Municipalities have many tools available to reduce the likelihood of pollutants reaching the source water area for their public water supply. 

For example, a municipality may: 

• Conduct education and awareness campaigns to inform community members of best management practices and increase their engagement in source water protection;
• Work with landowners to place easements on parcels of land, or purchase properties near a drinking water source;
• Apply for available State and federal resources, programs, and funding to assist with the cost of implementation activities;
• Establish protective buffers (e.g., riparian) or develop and implement local protective zoning (e.g., aquifer protection overlay districts) around their source that controls activities or land uses that can threaten the water supply; and 
• Partner with neighboring municipalities in an intermunicipal agreement, which can protect water quality and other natural resources across multiple jurisdictions by coordinating local government efforts to address contamination threats. 

During implementation, DWSP2 communities continue working with their technical assistance provider to address priority issues outlined in the DWSP2 plan. The municipality’s Program Management Team and works alongside their technical assistance provider to implement and prioritize the community’s source water protection needs. Implementation of a community’s program is just as critical as developing their plan and is one of the more rewarding aspects of DWSP2. 

DWSP2 has achieved significant advances in protecting drinking water resources across New York State since launched in 2021. Including today’s announcement, 117 municipalities are working on proactive protection of source water. Municipalities can learn from examples set by the City of Ithaca), Town of Bethlehem,) and Village of Athens. 

Communities interested in learning more about the Drinking Water Source Protection Program can visit the DWSP2 webpage or contact source.water@dec.ny.gov. If interested in participating in the program, please fill out this Interest Form to set up a community-specific presentation detailing ways DWSP2 can help you protect your source waters. 

New York's Commitment to Water Quality

New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure, with a total of $6 billion invested in water infrastructure since 2017. Governor Hochul’s 2026–27 Executive Budget proposes a record $425 million for the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects. The Executive Budget also includes a historic $3.75 billion five-year commitment to clean water infrastructure. 

This funding is in addition to other substantial water quality investments, including the voter-approved $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, which is advancing historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. These investments will create jobs, strengthen community resilience, and improve environmental sustainability. By taking these steps, Governor Hochul is ensuring a healthier and more sustainable future for all New Yorkers.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - JOIN US: BRONX WEEK FINALE PARADE & CONCERT (FEATURING REMY MA)

 

Michigan Home Health Care Agency Owner Convicted of $1.6M Medicare Fraud Scheme and Kickback Conspiracy

 

A federal jury in the Eastern District of Michigan convicted a Michigan nurse and home health care agency owner for operating a $1.6 million scheme to defraud Medicare.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ruby Scott, 55, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, owned and operated Delta Home Health Care LLC (Delta). From 2018 through 2021, Scott bribed a discharge nurse at a Detroit hospital to identify Medicare patients and fax their confidential records to Delta, unbeknownst to the patients. Scott had developed the kickback relationship with the hospital discharge nurse at a home health company she had previously co-owned, but she offered the nurse an additional $100 patient to induce her to refer patients to her new company. Scott paid the discharge nurse over $130,000 by CashApp, PayPal, check, and cash. Scott used these stolen profiles to bill Medicare for home health services, exploiting the diagnostic and personal information of patients who were unaware their data had been compromised.

The evidence at trial showed that Scott paid the discharge nurse approximately $300 for each patient Scott successfully billed to Medicare. In billing claims for patients who were obtained through kickbacks, as well as other claims between 2018 and 2024, Scott falsely represented to Medicare that a doctor had certified patients as meeting the Medicare requirements to receive home health services, including being homebound, when evidence proved no doctor had ever evaluated these patients for home health services. In many instances, Scott used the identities of real doctors to fabricate the existence of these evaluations when, in reality, these doctors had never even met the patients and did not know that Scott was using their information to fraudulently bill Medicare. A witness testified one patient for whom Delta received thousands of dollars in payments had never received services from Scott’s company. Delta failed to maintain patient files for over one-third of the patients for which it submitted claims to Medicare, for whom Medicare paid Delta over $1.2 million. Scott caused approximately $1.6 million in losses to Medicare, which a witness testified drains the Medicare trust fund and could make it difficult for Medicare to pay on claims that are true and accurate.

The jury convicted Scott of five counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay illegal health care kickbacks, and four counts of paying illegal health care kickbacks. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison as to each health care fraud count, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison as to each kickback count, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison as to the conspiracy count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Kelly M. Warner and Ahmad Huda of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

SENATOR RIVERA IN THE COMMUNITY

SENATOR RIVERA SUPPORTS IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN THE BRONX

This week, the Norwood News reported that a father who had been detained by ICE in early May while visiting family in Connecticut was recently released and reunited with his family in the Bronx. Thanks to our dedicated Community Outreach team, who met the father’s fiancée while canvassing and connected her with Hands Off NYC, the family was able to receive guidance and support during the process. Senator Rivera remains committed to standing with our neighbors and supporting immigrant communities. Read the Norwood News article here.

SENATOR RIVERA JOINS BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT GIBSON IN MOURNING THE DEATH OF 1-YEAR OLD IN FIRE AT BAINBRIDGE AVENUE

SENATOR RIVERA HOLDS NEW HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING

This week, Senator Rivera held his seventh Health Committee meeting of the year. All 20 bills on the agenda passed including his:

 S.3100A - Expands coverage for the treatment of asthma to include a second rescue and maintenance inhaler, along with any medically necessary devices for children under nineteen years of age.

 S.5229A - Provides for updates to rates for residential health care facilities.



 S.5401 - Establishes the clinical trial access and education fund to provide grants to eligible applicants to provide certai

SENATOR RIVERA RECEIVES 32BJ SEIU'S HEALTH CARE CHAMPION AWARD

This week, Senator Rivera joined 32BJ SEIU during their Health Care Champion Awards celebration. He was honored to receive an award for himself and on behalf of Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins. Thank you to Manny Pastreich, President of 32BJ SEIU, for the recognition During this special event, Senator Rivera was reminded that there are so many people in our State, legislators and labor leaders alike, purposefully working to deliver healthcare affordability and support working New Yorkers.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS & RESOURCES

NYC Small Business Month Expo

Thursday, May 28 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

60 Pine Street, Manhattan

Registration Link

Free resources, consultations, workshops, and networking to help solve the six top challenges NYC small business owners face – all in one place! 

• Fund Your Business 
  
• Grow Your Business 
  
• Find & Retain Talent 
  
• Build Your Customer Base 
  
• Save Time & Money 
  
• Access Legal Services...and more! 
  

Please Help Us Spread the Word

The following materials are available to make it as easy as possible to promote to your networks: 

• Printable flyers (translated in 10 languages)
  
• PowerPoint slide for presentations
  
• Copy for newsletters and standalone emails
  
• SBS social media posts to amplify on the following channels: 
  
• Facebook
  
• Instagram
  
• LinkedIn
  
• Twitter/X
  

Thank you for your partnership, see below for a list of helpful links, and we hope to see your constituents at the Expo on May 28!

• Promotional Toolkit - Contains email templates, social media posts, and flyers in multiple languages
  
• Community Partner Promotional Briefing - today at 3pm!
  
• NYC Small Business Month Info

New SNAP Work Requirements: What You Need to Know New federal rules are changing SNAP work requirements for some New Yorkers. Starting this year, certain adults may need to work, attend job training, or volunteer to keep their benefits. You may be affected if you are: ● Between ages 18–64 ● Not living with a child under 14 ● Not exempt due to a health condition or other reason  If these rules apply to you, you may need to take action each month to avoid losing your SNAP benefits.  Check your status and learn what to do: on.nyc.gov/snap.

JOIN A NYC PARKS RECREATION CENTER NEAR YOU!

• Hunts Point Recreation Center | 765 Manida St., Bronx, N.Y.
• Kwame Ture Recreation Center | 1527 Jesup Ave., Bronx, N.Y.
• St. James Recreation Center | 2530 Jerome Ave., Bronx, N.Y.
• St. Mary’s Recreation Center (reopening soon) | 450 Saint Ann’s Ave., Bronx, N.Y.
• Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center | 3225 Reservoir Oval E. Bronx, N.Y.

 

To find out more about what our centers offer and membership, pls use the following link - https://www.nycgovparks.org/programs/recreation-centers/membership

JOIN THE ANIMAL CARE CENTERS OF NYC HOSTS MOBILE ADOPTION & OUTREACH EVENTS

JOB OPPORTUNITY WITH THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)'s Division of Environmental Health/Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation is actively recruiting qualified candidates for the high-priority vacancy of Public Health Inspector, Level I (Multiple Vacancies Available). Candidates in possession of the minimum qualification requirements of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, including or supplemented by 30 semester credits in the physical and/or biological sciences, i.e., biology, botany, chemistry, geology, physics, or physiology are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about this job opening and application, click link here. In addition, DOHMH will hold an in-person hiring event in the second week of June. All interested candidates must immediately engage in the following three (3) steps:   1) Immediately complete the survey enclosed in this link https://nycdohmh.surveymonkey.com/r/TFVFXX7 by uploading your resume and unofficial school transcript for review by Hiring Managers. 2) Indicate your availability for the hiring event in the second week of June: Event Schedule: Session 1: Registration: 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM Presentation, Writing Sample, and PHS Talk: 9:30 AM (boardroom) Interviews: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Session 2: Registration: 1 – 1:30 PM Presentation, Writing Sample, and PHS Talk: 1:30 PM (boardroom) Interviews: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM   3) Register for our Career Information Session on Thursday 6/4/26 between 10:30AM – 12:00PM. Registration Link: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/297f7625-cb0a-4b59-99b5-1cd43bcad56d@69c73202-5c6f-48f1-a1ac-e1b0ef826a1e   Candidates who complete all three steps as described above and meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position will be sent a follow-up email invite for our upcoming In-Person Food Safety & Community Sanitation Hiring Event! In the interim, should you require additional information about this job opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact bfscsrecruitment@health.nyc.gov or Recruit@health.nyc.gov.

Trump Administration Delivers a Full Year of Zero Releases at the Border

 

Today, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the U.S. Border Patrol’s twelfth consecutive month of zero releases at the border, continuing the trend of historically low border crossings.

“Twelve straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we are delivering the most secure border in American history,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “The days of catch and release are over. We are enforcing the nation’s laws and sending illegal aliens back to their home countries.”

“What a difference, America! The U.S. Border Patrol released zero illegal aliens into our country again this month, unlike April 2024 when more than 68,000 were released under President Biden,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. “Every minute of every day President Trump’s border security policies are making every American safer.”

The sustained decline in illegal border crossings and apprehensions—now at levels not seen in over three decades—shows the impact of robust enforcement policies. With daily apprehensions down 95% from the previous administration and 15 consecutive months of fewer than 9,000 southwest border apprehensions, the border remains more secure than at any point in history.

Below is a snapshot of April’s key figures. Full monthly reporting can be viewed on CBP’s Stats and Summaries webpage.

Border Enforcement at Historic Levels

Illegal crossings in April remained historically low:

• Southwest border apprehensions were 94% lower than under Biden
  • The U.S. Border Patrol’s apprehensions along the southwest border in April (8,943) were 94% lower than the monthly average of the Biden administration and 96% below the peak of the Biden administration (December 2023). They were also less than what was apprehended in 3 days in April 2024.
• Border crossings this entire fiscal year to date were lower than the monthly average the last 30 years
  • Total U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border during all of this fiscal year through April were 37% lower than just one month on average from FYs 1992 through 2024.
• Daily average apprehensions in April were 94% lower than under Biden
  • The U.S. Border Patrol’s average number of apprehensions per day along the southwest border in April (298) were 94% lower than the daily average under the Biden administration.
  • The number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions per day in April was less than a single hour during the height of the Biden administration (336 per hour in December 2023) and less than the number apprehended every 2 hours on average under the Biden administration.
• CBP’s total encounters this fiscal year to date are lower than April 2024 alone
  • This fiscal year’s encounters (215,876) are 13% lower than in the month of April 2024 alone.

Drug Interdictions That Save Lives

CBP remains on the frontline against drug smuggling, seizing dangerous narcotics before they reach American communities.

Nationwide in April, seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana (combined, by weight) increased 60% from April 2024. In April 2026, heroin seizures increased 73% compared with March 2026 and methamphetamine seizures increased 63%. CBP seized 463 pounds of fentanyl in April.

CBP has seized 61% more drugs this fiscal year through April than it seized during the same period of FY 2024, and CBP seized 53% more drugs this fiscal year than it seized on average during the last four years in this same period.

Additional CBP drug seizure statistics can be found on the Drug Seizure Statistics webpage. 

Trade and Tariff Enforcement

CBP plays a central role in enforcing U.S. trade law and supporting economic security.

• $312 billion in imports processed in April 2026.
• $21.6 billion in duties identified for collection.

Protecting Consumers and Supply Chains

CBP continues to safeguard the American economy by targeting forced labor and counterfeit goods.

• In April, CBP stopped 263 shipments valued at more than $810 million for potential forced labor violations.
• CBP seized a quantity of 2,983,850 counterfeit goods valued at over $1.5 billion.

Agriculture Stats/Seizures – Securing American Agriculture

In April, CBP agriculture specialists helped protect America’s agriculture, natural resources, and economic prosperity.

• CBP issued 7,181 emergency action notifications for restricted and prohibited plant and animal products entering the United States.
• CBP conducted 105,437 positive passenger inspections and issued 690 civil penalties and/or violations to the traveling public for failing to declare prohibited agriculture items.